Wellness Care for Women
Ladies! Wellness and preventative care is something that I talk about with all of my patients. Many of my patients come to see me for their wellness exams because they want to spend more time digging into what they can do to keep themselves healthy. Wondering how frequently you need to come in for a general wellness checkup?
If you are under the age 49 with no chronic health conditions and no health concerns/questions, come in once every 1-3 years. Over age 50, come in yearly.
What do I do at a general check-up/wellness visit? Well, it varies. It depends on your age, gender, and risk factors. To help give you an idea of what is covered, you’ll find a list of topics that I chat with my patients about at their wellness visits below. Not all of these topics are touched on for every person, because not all will apply for every person.
In office topics:
Blood pressure screening
Conversation around healthy nutrition and exercise goals
Depression and anxiety screening
Vitamin/supplement/medication review (let's make sure that what you are taking is actually working for you!)
Stress management
Sleep
Alcohol and substance use
Blood tests that may be ordered:
Cholesterol panel (important if you smoke, have high blood pressure, diabetes, have a family history of heart disease, or are over the age of 45): this includes a total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides
Diabetes check (important if you have a family history of diabetes, are overweight, have a history of gestational diabetes or PCOS): this includes a fasting blood sugar and/or hemoglobin A1C (a measure of your blood sugar control over the past 3 months)
Anemia check (important if you are having heavy periods): this includes a CBC, ferritin, and iron studies
Vitamin D (important if you have limited or no sun exposure or have certain health conditions)
STI screening: did you know that all adults should be tested at least once in their lives for HIV and Hepatitis C? You may also be due for regular gonorrhea and chlamydia screening depending on your age and risk factors.
Cancer screening:
Breast cancer screening - conversation starts at age 35
Cervical cancer screening - begins at age 21, then done every 3 to 5 years thereafter
Colon cancer screening - begins at age 45
This conversation takes a lot more than a 10 minute office visit. Expect a 30-60 minute conversation that is all about you and what you can do for your health. You are worth it.